The Redbreast

The Redbreast
By Jo Nesbo
Harpercollins, 2006. 519 pgs. Mystery

The plot to this wonderfully complicated thriller/mystery begins at the German Eastern front with a group of Norwegian soldiers fighting the Russians for the Nazi regime. This historical story is told amid a modern story starring Harry Hole, an unlucky inspector for the Norwegian Security Service. The two narratives are expertly woven together and the plot takes a number of fantastic and unexpected turns.

Harry Hole is a terrific protagonist for this mystery series. Nesbo is a good writer and unfolds his story with a great deal of insight into the human psyche. It does have a dominant European feel and I would readily recommend The Redbreast to anyone who enjoyed Larsson’s popular series but would like to try something with a little less graphic violence and sex. I am eager to continue to read of Harry’s further adventures in the second book in the series, Nemesis!

CZ